When I’m in LA, I usually stay on the west side. It takes a lot for me to trek through the slow-as-molasses traffic to downtown LA. But that was until I heard Chef J (Jason Harley) opened up Birdies in DTLA. Like some other popular donut shops (Federal Donuts, Gordoughs, Astro, etc) Birdies sells delicious fried chicken with their circular treats. And since they’re open 24-hours on the weekends, they can satisfy any savory or sweet late-night craving.

Let’s start with the savory. The Birdie’s Original sandwich is a free-range, antibiotic-free, crispy chicken breast that’s piled high with crunchy coleslaw, buttermilk ranch mayo, Tillamook cheddar & cured pickles. I can’t recommend this enough. Unless you prefer food that isn’t tasty. Then stay away from this one.

I first reached for the Cinnamon Toast Crunch donut, which was similar to a spice cake. With its milk-like icing and crunchy bits, this cake donut satisfied. Next, the Strawberry White Chocolate tasted of wild strawberries. This fluffy yeast donut had the right balance of sweetness and fruit flavor.

I really enjoyed the Lemon Pistachio with its refreshing burst of citrus flavor. But the gold standard is their 24k Gold Edible Donut. It’s wrapped in gold leaf and comes with a $100 price tag. If you’re craving this, but your wallet is telling you that you’re crazy, wait for National Donut Day, when they’ve been known to sell them for a quarter of the cost.

If you are in possession of something very special and valuable, chances are you’ll lock it away in a vault so no one can get their hands on it. Luckily, the fine people at Doughnut Vault in Chicago have left the door swinging wide open so we’re able to get our glazed covered hands on them.

At this small grab and go storefront, you’ll snake along the long line (which has been present since Gilt Bar owner Brendan Sodikoff opened it in 2011) until you walk into a tiny room with a lovely a vaulted ceiling.

If you get there early enough, you’ll have a decent selection to choose from. But if you’re wise, you’ll go for one of their cake donuts. It’s what they do best.

The Buttermilk Old Fashioned is everything you’d hope for and then some. The outside is crunchy, while the inside is soft. The icing is simple and plays nicely with the buttermilk flavor-burst you get when you bite into the donut. It’s perfection in donut form.

When I was there, the flavor of the day was the Peanut Butter Softee. It was a cake donut and the peanut butter flavor was like the candied peanut butter Easter eggs my grandma used to make on Easter. Pure deliciousness.

Their menu changes daily, so check their website/Tumblr to see what the doughnut of the day is.

And if this video from The Mode Project doesn’t get you hungry, I don’t know what will.

On National Donut Day last year I found my self back in Los Angeles for work. I was staying on the west side, where I have already tried most of the donuts there. But for the sacred holiday, I had to try something different. I weaved my way through LA traffic and found my way to Koreatown, where the donut shop with the biggest social media following that I’m aware of is located.

California Donuts is an 80’s born, family owned and operated donut shop. They offer a diverse variety of donuts, which fit in nicely with the K-town vibe.

The line was wrapped well around the building with hungry patrons carrying wallets and cameras. I happily took my place in the back of the line and crawled along for the next 45 minutes until I finally got to the counter (which, coincidentally, smelled like a Fruit Loops factory).

The donuts are constantly being made, 24 hours a day. Trust me, it’s a Willy-Wonka-esque factory in there. When they are out of something, they’ll make it for you, which came in handy when they were out of the Blueberry Cinnamon Toast Crunch donut. This tasty donut was a great combo between the sweet blueberry icing and the crunch of the cinnamon cereal.

They have a lot of other cereal-topped donuts to choose from, but I decided on the Matcha Green Tea and the Chocolate Covered Strawberry. All three choices were fluffy and airy.

To me, it’s all about the topping here. It’s a standard yeast donut on the bottom and then topped with iconic cereals, unique designs, and other sweet glazes and candies. Their most Instagram worthy donut is the Panda Donut, which uses oreo cookies to make the face of a panda. Well worth the trip.

Not many people know a great deal about Rhode Island. Before I ever stepped foot in the state, all I really knew was what the often-verklempt Linda Richman once stated on SNL – “Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island. Discuss.”

But this small state (only 37 miles by 48 miles) packs in a lot of donut shops, in addition to some beautiful beaches and a thriving art community. As of 2014, NPD Group Inc. found that the Providence metro area has more donut shops per capita than any other region in the US. 25.3 donut shops per 100,000 people.

Allie’s Donuts is probably the most iconic Rhode Island donut establishment. Now open for over 40 years, it has always been a place that no matter where you’re going in the state, people will find an excuse to stop off here. Frederick Alvin “Allie” Briggs opened this unassuming, red-trimmed building in 1968 and has been cranking out handmade donuts ever since.

Their plain glazed donut was chewy with a sweet glaze and a few contrasting sour and nutty notes in the dough. The maple glazed had a strong maple flavor and perked your tastebuds up. The old fashioned was very cake-y, dense, and straightforward. Their top-seller is the fluffy yeast donut topped with florescent colored sprinkles.

In the next few weeks/month, Providence will see the opening of new donut shops like PVDonuts and Knead Doughnuts, which will only contribute positively to the donut scene here in Rhode Island. But for the donut that hasn’t changed in the last 4 decades, Allie’s is the place to go.

Donuts and car washes. They’re about as likely of a mix as mustard and ice cream. But if you’re wondering how a donut shop gets intertwined with a car wash, keep reading. When Chef Scott Levine, a veteran of the fine dining world, wanted to start a food business, we wet about as far away from the fine dining industry as possible. He took some space in his father-in-law’s car wash and opened this gem of an establishment: Underwest Donuts.

Levine specializes in cake donuts. But from the simple cake base comes some unique and creative flavors – the sort of crazy flavors he experimented with at Laboratorio Gelato.

Underwest’s Car Wash Donut is the first you should try because, well, when in Rome. It’s aptly named for the place it’s housed in. Each glazed element has a perfect correlation to the car wash experience. The vanilla glaze represents the soap while the blue, pink, and green lines of icing represent the waxes that stream across your car. This refreshing gem of a donut gets it’s perfumy, lavender flavor not from the sour cream or the brown butter bits, but the clever way they infuse the milk with lavender.

Pro Donut Hunting Tip: don’t go home with the lavender car freshener or else you’ll be craving these donuts every time you get behind the wheel.

After the car wash donut, don’t pump the breaks until you’d tried some others. Their Maple Waffle donut is my next suggestion. It’s a perfect choice if you can never decide between a waffle or a donut in the morning. It has a sweet, maple-y taste with hints of nuttiness that come from the pecans used in the donut batter and also in the maple glaze. The donut is finished with a stroopwaffle on top, making it extra Instagram worthy.

Their Mulled Cider donut was my favorite of the bunch. It was dense, but soft on the inside, with notes of orange, clove, and cinnamon.

The Mint Chocolate Pretzel is all about the crunch, topped with peppermint bark and pretzels.

The Halva Donut has to be the most unique donut I ate in 2015. It is a truly creative concoction. The batter is filled with un-donut-like things such as tahini and ground sesame seeds. The glaze even uses roasted sesame paste. Finally, it’s covered with shredded halva. The end result is a nutty, almost peanut butter-like mixture that leaves the donut moist and flavorful.

If these donuts have you drooling, make sure you do it on your front hood. That way you can have an excuse to get your car cleaned at the tastiest car wash around.

I could never be president. It’s not the high-pressure situations and months on the campaign trail. Nor the constant media attention and high levels of scrutiny. Truthfully, it’s because the White House is far too close to Astro Doughtnuts. Things would never get done if delicious, fried scents kept wafting into the oval office. And there’s a good chance I’d end up looking like President Taft if I succumbed to each tasty temptation.

But the co-founders of Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern, had the right exercise-to-donut balance. Both owners were former hockey players who would often make a post-game stop at a local donut joint as a treat for their hard work. And as hard as they tried to avoid an icing penalty during the game, they couldn’t avoid icing on their donuts. Once they retired, that’s when they teamed up with chef Jason Gehring to churn out their beloved donuts in the DC area.

Last week, I decided to indulge in this magical (and I’m sure patriotic) combination of donuts and fried chicken.

Starting with the shop’s sugary side, I grabbed three of their finest donuts: Passionfruit Blackberry, Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar, and their renowned Crème Brûlée donut.

The Passionfruit Blackberry was a soft and fluffy yeast donut. Hints of citrus permeated the dough and the glaze had just the right amount of sweetness.

The Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar was a pillowy donut covered in cinnamon sugared and filled with a pumpkin cream. If you ever have trouble getting into an autumn mood, this will get you there.

Arguably their most famous donut is the Crème Brûlée. The donut’s fluffy innards contained a delicious creamy custard and on top was a sugary, flame-blasted glaze. The custard doesn’t overwhelm, but it’s a strong presence. And the crunch of the sugar topping provides a harmonious balance between all the textures and layers.

As good as the donuts are, you cannot bypass the chicken. I opted for the chicken fingers. These aren’t small, fast food chicken nuggets that are filled with something you hope came from a chicken. No, they give you generous portions of white meat chicken that are beyond excellent. It’s some of the juiciest chicken I’ve had in a while. And the mix of spices laced in the crispy coating gave it a little heat, which was the perfect compliment.

So as you’re walking among the statues and landmarks in DC, one-up all the other tourists and do your sightseeing with a donut (and fried chicken) in your hand.

Hop on the Garden State Parkway in NJ between Memorial Day and Labor Day and you’re bound to hit a ton of traffic. The only thing hotter than the outside air temps can be the heads of some drivers. But fear not, there is a light at the end of the parkway that will make enduring the traffic worthwhile.

Exit 30 will lead you to Ocean City NJ, where Jody and Ger Bourgeouis’ small family run business called Mallon’s has been serving guilty pleasures since 1988 (Jody’s maiden name is Mallon, which is where the name comes from). The two have since expanded to multiple locations at the Jersey Shore, but this summer time treat stays consistently good no matter which one you hit up.

Their donuts are simple and straightforward. Not too sweet and not over loaded with toppings. There are usually 6-7 different kinds on any given day. All the varieties are cake donuts, but when you get them fresh they are chewy like a yeast donut.

Keeping it simple with vanilla and chocolate frosted

But their claim to fame is their sticky buns. Before you even enter the store, you’re bombarded by smells of baked dough and cinnamon. That’s my kind of cologne! Available in the half dozen or dozen (why would you want less?), each sticky is a perfect combo of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and whatever else they combine to make that sticky goodness. Each bun is soft, sweet, and gooey and goes down way too easy. Also, the cinnamon rolls are also to die for and they have a crumb cake of the month club, if you’re so inclined.

Sticky’s

I’m a huge advocate of donuts, but I don’t mind cheating on them with anything gooey and sticky from this place. A great addition to your summer vacation.

Deep in the back of Reading Terminal Market, you’ll find a line that will rival or surpass any line at DiNic’s or the other famous eateries in the market. Yes, even a line for Philly’s beloved cheesesteaks doesn’t get the queue that this Pennsylvania Dutch establishment gets. Once you make your way to the front of the line, you’ll find a large selection of delicious looking, hand forged donuts. What might be surprising is the cost; a mere .95¢ for a single donut. That’s a price you don’t even see with mass produced donuts! And luckily, these are all hand made – proven by the non-uniform shape of each doughy treat.

I stepped up to the counter and ordered a half dozen. The selection was predominately yeast donuts, but there were a scattering of cake donuts amongst them. I opted for a plain glazed, a fruity pebble, a chocolate mouse, a strawberry cream, an old fashioned sour cream, and a blueberry fritter.

I started with the most basic the warm up my palette. The glazed donut was a yeast donut that was soft and chewy. It flattened out with each bite and went down the hatch far to easy. The glaze wasn’t overpowering and it had a funnel cake after taste…most likely due to the fact that it was fried. Or that most PA Dutch people use the same kind of oil in both recipes. The charm of this one comes back to it being hand rolled and a unique shape.

The chocolate mouse and the strawberry cream donuts were yeast donuts as well. The topping was whipped and airy like a mouse and were mild, but fresh, in flavor. These donuts got physically flat as well with each bite.

The fruity pebble donut had a nice crunch with it and tasted like fruity cereal milk. The old fashioned sour cream was as it should be. A flavorful cake donut with a soft interior. Good flavors. And the blueberry fritter was the densest of the bunch, but packed in a bunch of blueberry flavor.

If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, food lovers seem to all flock to Maltby Street where vendors setup shop under the arches of a raised train track. St John Bakery has a permanent shop here, where you can sit down and taste all sorts of creative plates. But the winner here is what most people have for pudding (dessert) and I have for breakfast, which are their donuts.

Even with the still recent departure of their head baker, Justin Gellatly, who went to start Bread Ahead, St John Bakery still crank out some fluffy, delicious, filled donuts.

Inside the shop

I went with the classic vanilla specked custard and the seasonal rhubarb jam. The donut itself was very light and airy, leaving room for the massive injection of filling in the middle of it. I didn’t mind it, since the filling here is the centerpiece of the donut. And it was nothing short of fresh.

The rhubarb jam had a mild strawberry flavor and was immediately addicting. The jam was fresh and flavorful and I would order it again in a second.

Both donuts were covered with granulated sugar on the outside, which wrapped it all together and added a nice texture to the rich and creamy inside. It’s evident by the freshness and the amount of filling in each that these were all made by hand, void of any massed produced-ness. St John Bakery is worth the trek and the amount of napkins it will take to get your sticky face clean.

I was first introduced to Peter Pan Bakery by a work colleague of mine who lived in Greenpoint and knew I was donut-crazed. He brought a few to an edit session and I was quite impressed. However, I still felt the urge to make the trek out to Brooklyn to see the place for myself.

Stepping into the bakery makes you feel like you’re walking into a coffee shop that has remained untouched for 60 years. A classic mom & pop shop with no frills and a strong smell of donuts and coffee permeating made me immediately get into a donut-eating mood. I ordered my 3: Glazed, Toasted Coconut, and Red Velvet. The Glazed was light and airy. It had a fresh, fried dough taste and wasn’t too sweet since its flavoring was more honey than sugar. The toasted coconut was a yeast donut as well. Crunchy toasted coconut in a nice glaze. The red velvet changed it up a bit since it was a cake donut…a pretty delicious cake donut. I would have loved a cream cheese flavored glaze or icing on it, but the simple glaze was fine.

Next time, I’ll have to try the ice cream donut sandwiches. I think the red velvet will be my choice to wrap around some vanilla ice cream. What’s not to love about that idea!